WARWICKSHIRE today insisted that members will be offered "fantastic value for money" despite sharp rises in subscriptions rates to be announced next week.

WARWICKSHIRE today insisted that members will be offered "fantastic value for money" despite sharp rises in subscriptions rates to be announced next week.

The Bears' members are bracing themselves for a blow to their wallets after the county's general committee approved a series of increases for next season.

The new rates, formulated by commercial director James McLaughlin and chief executive Colin Povey, will see prices for most member-ship categories jump by between 20 and 40 per cent.

Most contentious is likely to be the decision to introduce car parking charges for all but the most expensive membership categories.

If members have to pay to park every time they visit Edgbaston, the most committed followers will be hardest hit.

Coming on the back of a highly disappointing season on the field in 2006, the package is hardly likely to be viewed with enormous warmth by supporters.

But McLaughlin reckons the new membership packages, which were put together using feedback from meetings with supporters in the summer and autumn, have plenty to recommend them.

"The rates will go up," he said. "But we believe that, for what membership will provide, it is still fantastic value for money.

"There is a variety of benefits in there that we have built in after making a real effort to find out what members want.

"Talking to our supporters made us fully realise that people wanted to feel greater value in being a member of Warwickshire. We felt there was a lot that could be fixed - and now has been fixed.

"From now on there will be improved communications between the club and memebrs, better links with the playing side and more exclusivity for members. The whole emphasis is on bringing greater prestige to being a member."

The first public fielding of supporters' reaction to the new rates will come at a forum at Edgbaston on November 21 when Povey, McLaughlin, coach Mark Greatbatch and chairman of cricket John Claughton will take questions.

By then Greatbatch should be able to shed light on his remaining plans for the playing staff for 2007.

During that week skipper Heath Streak will fly in from Zimbabwe for three days to discuss whether he should be classified as on overseas player next season, as originally planned, or registered as a Kolpak.

If he is 'Kolpaked', it will free up another overseas spot. Australian batsman Martin Love has taken one but Warwickshire are browsing the global market to see what's around in the pace-bowling all-rounder department.